– Kim Junsu

This is a Korean name; the family name is Kim.

Kim Junsu (Korean: 김준수, Japanese: ジュンス; born December 15, 1986; registered on January 1, 1987[1] inGyeonggi-do, South Korea), also known by his stage name Xiah (pronounced “shee-ah”), is a South Korean singer and occasional actor. Best known as a member of South Korean boy band TVXQ and JYJ, he has branched out to act in musicals.

Early life

Kim Junsu was born and raised in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He has an older fraternal twin brother named Junho, known as Zuno. In 2002, Junsu participated in the 6th Annual Starlight Casting System, which led him to be casted by SM Entertainment to take part in TVXQ. He is best friends with Eunhyuk of Super Junior, with whom he formed a dance group and auditioned for SM Entertainment together as a kid.

2003-2009: TVXQ

Main article: TVXQ

Kim Junsu was the first member to join TVXQ. He joinedSM Entertainment at the age of eleven and his first contract with the company began February 12, 2000.

In 2002, Junsu appeared on a show called “2002 Survival Audition” with Eunhyuk, which was judged by two members of H.O.T., Moon Hee Jun and Kangta. Kangtapraised him highly, saying that he had potential as a lead vocalist.

Junsu debuted as part of TVXQ during a BoA and Britney Spears showcase on 26 December 2003.He chose Xiah to be his stage name, explaining that the name was short for “Asia” (taking out the “a” in “Asia”). “Xiah” would be an implication of his desire to become not only a star in Korea, but also a star recognized all throughout Asia.

As a member of TVXQ, Junsu has released four Korean albums, four Japanese albums, several Korean singles, and thirty Japanese singles. He has appeared on two televised shows with TVXQ,Banjun Theater and Vacation.

In 2006, Junsu collaborated with label-mate Zhang Liyin, for her debut single “Timeless”.

In 2007, he was chosen to be part of Samsung’s Anycall project group, Anyband. The group consisted of label-mate BoA, Tablo of Epik High, and jazz pianist Jin Bora. Anyband has only released one single of the same name.

Junsu wrote and composed “Nae Gyeote Sumsuil Su Ittdamyeon (White Lie)” (네 곁에 숨쉴 수 있다면), which was included on TVXQ’s third studio album, “O”-Jung.Ban.Hap. At TVXQ’s 2nd Asia Tour Concert “O”, he performed a solo self-composed dance song “My Page”. He also composed his solo ballad “Rainy Night” of TVXQ’s nineteenth Japanese single, “If…/Rainy Night”, an installment of the group’s non-album release “TRICK” project. Junsu also wrote “Noeur.. Baraboda (Picture of You)” (노을..바라보다), which was featured in the group’s fourth Korean album, Mirotic. For TVXQ’s The 3rd Asia Tour Mirotic, he performed another self-composed song “Xiahtic”, which was then rearranged and performed in Japanese at the Tohoshinki 4th Live Tour 2009: The Secret Code in Tokyo Dome. “Xiahtic” is also included in TVXQ’s twenty-ninth Japanese single.

2009: Lawsuit against SM Entertainment

On July 31, 2009, Junsu and other two TVXQ members—Jaejoong and Yoochun submitted an application to the Seoul Central District Court to determine the validity of their contract with SM Entertainment. Through their lawyers, the members stated that the 13-year contract was excessively long, schedules were held out without the confirmation or permission of the members, contract terms have been extended and changed without their knowledge or consent and that the group’s earnings were not fairly distributed to the members.

The Seoul Central District Court granted the three members a temporary contract injunction in October 2009 and ruled that SM cannot interfere with their invididual activities but also that they can only act as members of TVXQ through SM Entertainment. Currently, the main lawsuit to validate/invalidate the three members’ contract with SM Entertainment is still ongoing.

2010-present: JYJ and Solo projects

In January 2010, Kim Junsu started his stage musical career as the lead actor in the South Korean run of Mozart!.[14][15] He was able to make a successful debut by sweeping up all Best Newcomer awards in various musical awards ceremonies.

In April, he debuted as JYJ, a three-member group consists of Kim Jaejoong and Park Yoochun, following an announcement made by Avex Trax, their Japanese record label at the time.[16]
After it was revealed that TVXQ would go on an indefinite hiatus in Japan, it was announced that Junsu would make a solo debut.[17] He released a self-produced double A-side single on May 26, 2010[17](Refer Xiah (EP)). A song that he recorded titled “Kanashimi no Yukue” (悲しみのゆくえ The Whereabouts of Sadness?) will be used as the theme song for the Japanese drama 5nen Atono Love Letter (５年後のラブレター Go-nen Atono Rabu Retā?, A Love Letter 5 Years From Now). In May 2010, a teaser showing his self-composed song called “Intoxication” was released. “Intoxication” is the lead track of the single and the song which he’ll be promoting. Following the release of Xiah, BeeTV’s <Beautiful Love ～君がいれば～> used Junsu’s other song “君がいれば ～Beautiful Love～” as its theme song.

In September, JYJ released extended play The…, which debuted at number one on Oricon album charts. However, Avex has announced the suspension of all the group’s activities in Japan, the same month that year.

JYJ proceeded to release The Beginning, a global album which was sung in English, on October 12. Junsu composed his solo song in the album, titled “I Can Soar”. The group promoted the new album via a worldwide showcase tour throughout October and November with dates in South Korea, Southeast Asia and the United States.

In October, Junsu was set to collaborate with Sylvester Levay on a musical concert called “Kim Junsu Musical Concert, Levay with Friends”. It was held at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul from the 7th until the 10th for a total of 4 days. Well-known German musical actor Uwe Kröger who collaborated with Sylvester Levay in several musicals, also participated in the concert. During encore, Junsu performed “Intoxication” before Korean audience for the first time. The tickets to the first day of this concert was sold out in 20 minutes.

On January 25, 2011, JYJ released Korean extended play Their Rooms “Our Story”. Some of the songs were first introduced to the fans through the group’s showcase tour.

In February, Junsu starred in musical “Tears of Heaven”. He played Jun, a Korean soldier during the Vietnam war who fell in love with a Vietnamese singer. The first 15,000 tickets for the musical were sold out within 5 minutes and the second round of 13,000 tickets were all sold out within 3 minutes and 30 seconds, proving his prowess to sell out tickets.

Starting from April, Junsu toured Asia and North America for JYJ’s first Worldwide Tour. The tour is then extended to Europe and South America, adding another four stops in Spain, Germany, Chile and Peru.

In May, Junsu, along with musical actress Jo Jung Eun were chosen as the 5th Musical Awards’ honorary ambassadors. He was also nominated for “Best Actor” and later won the “Popular Star Award”. During that time, he was confirmed to fill in the leading role of the musical Mozart! encore performances from May 24th to July 3rd.

On August 5, Junsu released an OST song for Korean drama Scent of A Woman titled “You Are So Beautiful”. The song managed to top several main music real time charts shortly after it was released. He also made an appearance on the fifth episode of the drama as a popular singer that the main character idolizes and looks up to.

JYJ released their first Korean full-album entitled In Heaven on September 28. Junsu and actress Song Ji-hyo are featured in the music video for lead track “In Heaven”.

In November, Junsu won the “Popular Star Award” at the 17th Korea Musical Awards with co-star Yoon Gong Joo.

In 2012, Junsu will star in the Korean production of German musical Elisabeth as Death, the young lover of Empress Elisabeth of Austria with whom he has an intertwined relationship of love and hate. The musical will run for three months starting from February until May.

Philanthropy

Kim Junsu and his fans have been working closely with Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Korea, a private international aid group of the UN Cooperation for years.

As previously reported in 2009, ADRA Korea began building houses and improving living conditions for their ‘Repair and Improvement’ project in underprivileged regions of Cambodia. This aid for the poor received a lot of help from Junsu and his fanclub who donated money to the organization the previous year. The fanclub members decided to give a thoughtful present by collecting donations and giving a fraction of it to ADRA Korea. Although Xiah Junsu is unknown to the people residing there, because of the generous donation, the village has been named ‘Xiah Junsu Village’. As the ‘Xiah Junsu Village’had attracted a lot of attention, this project was expanded to other areas including Pursat, improving the unsafe living conditions for the impoverished children of Cambodia.

Since 2008, Junsu and his fans have also been secretly working for ‘Building Houses of Love’ project, which is also supported by ADRA Korea. The project aims to improve the environment of disadvantageous neighborhoods for people in Dangjin-gun area.
As of September 2011, six houses have been built for the handicapped and elderly living alone in Dangjin-gun, as well as other people in poor living conditions, including a multi-cultural family living inTaean-gun who has found a new home through the project.

Kim Junsu also ranked #1 celebrity for Happy Energy, an online donation campaign for charity launched by Naver. Junsu is helping the Jirani children’s choir from Kenya, Africa to support the Jirani Arts School where the children will continue to learn music. He stated that people can find inspiration and love through music, and wants to help create a music school in Kenya.

As a soccer enthusiast and captain of the South Korean entertainers soccer team “FC MEN”, he and his team have participated in various charity soccer matches.

Junsu’s fans are also committed to long-term charity works. Xiah Soul, a fan community dedicated to Junsu has made continuous support and donations to cover fees for surgery and verbal remediation for hearing-impaired children and teenagers.
Fans have also sent tons of rice donation for the needy in support of Junsu’s musicals.

On December 2011, it was reported that with the help of Kim Junsu, a school has been built in a small village of Vealvong in rural region of Pursat Province, Cambodia.

The project was made possible through the efforts of Junsu’s mother, who highlighted the dire need of the residents living there after her visit to the area. Junsu who was moved by the local inhabitants’ desire for their children to receive education despite having other pressing needs, decided to shoulder the construction costs for a new school building in Pursat. After five months of construction, the school building is made up of six classrooms, separate rooms for special programs, restrooms and clean water supply facilities. About 200 children started studying there for free, and an additional 100 are expected to enter soon.

Discography

Studio albums

Year

Album details

Chart positions

Sales

KOR

2012

Tarantallegra

Released: 14 May 2012

Label: C-JeS Entertainment

Language: Korean

Formats: CD, Digital Download

1

130,800+ (Korea)[53]
19,000+ (Japan)

[edit]Singles

Release

Title

Chart positions

JPN
sales[54]

Notes

OriconSingles Charts

Billboard Japan Hot 100

RIAJdigital tracks

2010

Xiah

Triple A-side release.

Released: 26 May 2010

Label: Rhythm Zone (RZCD-46562)

Language: Japanese

Formats: CD, Digital download

2

4

38
46
49

225,638+

195,000 units sold in its first week, becoming the biggest first week sales of the year by a solo artist.[57]

225,638 units sold by the end of the year, placing 28th on the Oricon Yearly Single Ranking.[58]

2012

Uncommitted

Released: 27 August 2012

Label: C-JeS Entertainment

Language: English

Formats: CD

Thank U For

Released: 24 December 2012

Label: C-JeS Entertainment

Language: Korean

Formats: Digital download

[edit]Other appearances

Release

Title

Notes

Album

2006

“All Rise”

Sung live on TVXQ’s first Korean live album.

1st Live Concert Rising Sun

“Timeless” (Zhang Liyin feat. Xiah)

Zhang Liyin’s debut single.

I Will

“Beautiful Thing”

Solo insert song for the TVXQ-starring Korean dramaVacation.

Vacation OST

2007

“My Page”

Sung live on TVXQ’s second Korean live album.

2nd Asia Tour Concert “O”

“조개껍질 묶어” (Tie Clam Shells)

Sung with BoA, Changmin, Lina, Sunday, Ryeo Wook, Ye Sung

2007 Summer SMTown – Fragile

“Anyband”

Samsung’s Anycall series featuring Junsu, BoA, Tablo, Jin Bora

Samsung Anycall CF

2008

“Rainy Night”

Solo song on TVXQ’s 19th Japanese single, part of “TRICK” release project.

“If…/Rainy Night” (single)

“소원” (Wish)

Sung with Changmin, Ryeo Wook, Kyu Hyun

Mirotic (versions C&D)

2009

“Xiahtic”

Sung live on TVXQ’s third Korean live album.

3rd Asia Concert “Mirotic”

2010

“Xiahtic”

Solo song on TVXQ’s 29th Japanese single.

“Break Out!” (single)

“君がいれば ～Beautiful Love～”

Used as the theme song to BeeTV’s <Beautiful Love ～君がいれば～>, starring JYJ member Yoochun

Xiah(solo single)

“悲しみのゆくえ” (The Whereabouts of Sadness)

Used as the theme song for the Japanese drama ５年後のラブレター (A Love Letter 5 Years From Now?)

“Too Love”

Insert song for the drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal, starring JYJ member Yoochun

Sungkyunkwan Scandal OST

2011

“You Are So Beautiful”

Sung by Junsu as a singer by the same name in Scent of a Woman

Scent of a Woman OST (Part 2)

2012

“사랑이 싫다구요” (I Don’t Like Love)

Solo insert song for the drama Rooftop Prince, starring JYJ member Yoochun

“Red…makes me think of the members who will continue having a very close relationship even in the future!”

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-Micky Yoochun-

"We have always been together as 5.
As the others are not with us right now, it’s embarrassing to say this, but I felt the love from them.
Therefore, I do not wish to forget the most important thing to me, and this song was written based on this feeling."
- Micky Yoochun during Colors promotions (FRaU November Issue) 2009

-About Dong Bang Shin Ki?-

- A thing which I treasure the most
-Micky Yoohun, Nikkan Daily SPorts 2009